The team states “The increase in selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI) use during pregnancy, questions concerning abnormal development of the enteric nervous system (ENS), increase in laxative use in children and the association of fluoxetine with infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS) gave rise to this pharmacological literature review.”

“The literature study showed that SSRIs may influence the development of the ENS in two ways. Blockage of the serotonin re-uptake transporter (SERT) during foetal development could influence migration, differentiation and survival of cells. This could lead to abnormal development in the first trimester of pregnancy.” (emphasis added)

For clarity, “5-HT” is scientific shorthand for serotonin. The team continues, “5-HT seems to be a growth factor in the primitive ENS. This growth factor like action is mediated through the 5-HT(2B) receptor and stimulation of this receptor by SSRIs influences the fate of late-developing enteric neurons. This could lead to abnormal development in the second and third trimester.” (emphasis added)

Due to the fact that the manufacturers of many SSRI drugs have failed time and again to provide adequate warning to women using their drugs during pregnancy, SSRI birth defect lawsuits have been filed by the thousands around the world.

If you or a loved one used SSRIs and gave birth to a child with a birth defect or who suffered complications, your family may be entitled to significant financial compensation. For a free, no-obligation case consultation, contact our team of SSRI birth defect lawyers at the information provided below. We have the compassion, experience, and resources required to win the justice you deserve. Call today and see how we can help.

The team’s stated objective was “to determine the association of maternal psychotropic medication use during pregnancy with preterm delivery and other adverse perinatal outcomes.”

For this study, “A cohort of 2793 pregnant women in Washington State was interviewed, and their medical files were abstracted. After statistical analyses were performed, results showed that “Maternal use of benzodiazepine during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of preterm delivery (adjusted odds ratio, 6.79; 95% confidence interval, 4.01-11.5) and with increased risks of low birthweight, low Apgar score, neonatal intensive care unit admissions, and respiratory distress syndrome. Selective serotonin receptor inhibitors were associated with preterm deliveries only among women who started treatment after the first trimester.”

Since most women use SSRIs in pregnancy unaware of the risk for preterm delivery due to the manufacturer’s failure to warn, thousands of SSRI birth defect lawsuits are currently being filed around the world.

If you or a loved one used SSRIs and gave birth to a child with a birth defect or who was born prematurely, your family may be entitled to significant financial compensation. For a free, no-obligation case consultation, contact our team of SSRI birth defect lawyers at the information provided below. We have the compassion, experience, and resources required to win the justice you deserve. Call today and see how we can help.

Latendresse et al. (2011) write that “Although the purpose of this small, preliminary study was to evaluate the association between chronic maternal stress and PTB, this report focuses on the unexpected finding of the association between maternal use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and PTB.” (“PTB” stands for preterm birth.) In all, 100 pregnant women were studied.

The team found that “Pregnant women who used SSRIs to treat depression and/or anxiety were nearly 12 times more likely to give birth before term when compared with women who did not use these medications.” (emphasis added)

Due to the fact that the manufacturers of many SSRI drugs have failed time and again to warn women of these and other serious risks related to SSRI exposure, SSRI birth defect lawsuits are currently being filed around the world.

If you or a loved one used SSRIs while pregnant and gave birth to a child with a birth defect or who had perinatal complications, you may be entitled to significant financial compensation. For a free, no-obligation case consultation, contact our team of SSRI birth defect lawyers at the information provided below. We have the experience, resources, and skills required to win the justice you deserve. Call today and see how we can help.

Salisbury et al. (2011) write “Prenatal serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) exposure has been related to adverse newborn neurobehavioral outcomes; however, these effects have not been compared to those that may arise from prenatal exposure to maternal major depressive disorder (MDD) without SRI treatment. This study examined potential effects of MDD with and without SRI treatment on newborn neurobehavior.” For clarity, “SRI” is equivalent to “SSR” for our purposes.

“This was a prospective, naturalistic study”, and results showed that “Full-term infants exposed to MDD + SRIs had a lower [gestational age] than [control subjects] or MDD-exposed infants and, controlling for GA, had lower quality of movement and more central nervous system stress signs. In contrast, MDD-exposed infants had the highest quality of movement scores while having lower attention scores than CON and MDD + SRI-exposed infants.”

This means that maternal SSRI use, not maternal depression, was correlated with lower gestational age.

Since so many women around the world have used SSRIs during pregnancy unaware of these and other serious risks, thousands of SSRI birth defect lawsuits are currently being filed.

If you or a loved one used SSRIs while pregnancy and gave birth to a child with a birth defect or who suffered perinatal complications, your family may be entitled to significant financial compensation. For a free, no-obligation case consultation, contact our team of SSRI birth defect lawyers at the information provided below. We have the compassion, experience, and researchers required to win the justice you deserve. Call today and see how we can help.

de Vries et al. write “Use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) during pregnancy is common while the effect on the infant’s neurological outcome is unknown. Our objective was to determine the effects of prenatal SSRI-exposure on the infants’ neurological functioning, adjusted for maternal mental health.”

Studying “63 SSRI-exposed infants (SSRI group) and 44 non-exposed infants (non-SSRI group)”, the team states that “main outcome measures during the first week after birth and at three to four months were the quality of the infants’ general movements (GMs) according to Prechtl and a detailed motor optimality score.”

Results showed “All infants were born around term. During the first week, abnormal GMs occurred more frequently in the SSRI group than in the non-SSRI group (59% versus 33%) and the median MOS was lower (13 versus 18). The OR for abnormal GMs in the SSRI versus the non-SSRI group was 3.0 (95% CI, 1.3 to 6.9) and increased after adjustment for confounders. At three to four months, more SSRI-exposed infants had monotonous movements (48% versus 20%) with lower median MOSs (26 versus 28). The OR for monotonous movements was 3.5 (95% CI, 1.5 to 8.6) and increased after adjusting for confounders.”

As such, the team concluded that “Prenatal exposure to SSRI had an adverse effect on early neurological functioning as reflected by GM quality, irrespective of maternal depression and anxiety, and other confounders. Physicians should take this into account in consultation with parents.”

Because of the publication of papers like this one, SSRI birth defect lawsuits are currently being filed around the world. If you or a loved one used SSRIs and gave birth to a child with a birth defect or who had perinatal complications, your family may be entitled to significant financial compensation. For a free, no-obligation case consultation, contact our team of SSRI birth defect lawyers at the information provided below. We have the compassion, experience, and resources required to win the justice you deserve. Call today and see how we can help.

Results showed that “The fHR short- and long-term variations, accelerations, and duration of high variability episodes remained lower and did not change across the day in EXP, whereas all increased significantly in NEXP. In both groups, MCA flow velocity and volume flow increased significantly across the day. EXP MCA pulsatility index was significantly lower, as was MCA cross-sectional area. EXP cord Hb and hematocrit were significantly increased. Prenatal SSRI exposure reduced fetal MCA flow resistance and fHR variability, before and after an SSRI dose, controlling for maternal mood. These changes and the SSRI-related increased red cell indices suggest possible fetal hypoxia.”

Since many women use SSRIs while pregnant unaware of potentially serious risks posed to the fetus, thousands of SSRI birth defect lawsuits have been filed around the world. And, if you or a loved one used SSRIs and gave birth to a child with a birth defect, you may be entitled to significant financial compensation. For a free, no-obligation case consultation, contact our team of SSRI birth defect lawyers at the information provided below. We have the compassion, experience, and resources required to win the justice you deserve. Call today and see how we can help.

The team states “The aim of this prospective study was to investigate whether selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) utilized by pregnant women influence fetal neurobehavioral development. In this observational study we investigated developmental milestones of fetal behavior during the pregnancy of women with psychiatric disorders who took SSRIs throughout gestation (medicated group; n=96) or who had discontinued medication early in gestation or before conception (unmedicated group; n=37).” The birth outcomes for these women were compared to those for a control group of 130 healthy women.

Results showed that “Fetuses exposed to standard or high SSRI dosages compared with control, unmedicated, or low-medicated fetuses showed significantly increased motor activity at the beginning (T1) and end of the second trimester (T2). They particularly exhibited disrupted emergence of non-rapid eye movement (non-REM; quiet) sleep during the third trimester, characterized by continual bodily activity and, thus, poor inhibitory motor control during this sleep state near term (T3).”

Furthermore, the team found that “The SSRI effects on the fetus were dose related, but independent of SSRI type. The results demonstrate changes in fetal neurobehavioral development associated with standard and high SSRI dosages that are observable throughout gestation.”

If you or a loved one used SSRIs and gave birth to a child with a birth defect, your family may be entitled to significant financial compensation. For a free, no-obligation case consultation, contact our team of SSRI birth defect lawyers at the information provided below. We have the compassion, resources, and experience required to win the justice you deserve. Call today and see how we can help.

This team states “Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants (SSRIs) are sometimes prescribed to pregnant women. The potential consequences for the unborn child are gradually becoming clearer. In a case-control study of 298 children with autism and 1507 controls, 6.7% of mothers of autistic children had been prescribed an antidepressant during the year before delivery, compared to 3.3% of control mothers. The antidepressant was usually an SSRI. A dozen other small epidemiological studies of neurological development in children exposed to antidepressants in utero have provided mixed results. Two of these studies suggested a risk of psychomotor retardation. In practice, SSRI antidepressants should only be considered for pregnant women when non-drug measures fail and when symptoms are sufficiently serious to warrant drug therapy.” (emphasis added)

Citing a link to autism and poor neurodevelopment, this article can be used as evidence in a SSRI birth defect lawsuit to illustrate the the manufacturers of SSRIs knew, or should have known the risks associated with their products. Due to the fact that these manufacturers failed to warn expecting mothers of these risks, SSRI lawsuits have been filed all over the world.

If you or a loved one used SSRIs and gave birth to a child with autism, a congenital malformation, or who had poor neonatal development, you may be entitled to significant financial compensation. For a free, no-obligation case consultation, contact our team of SSRI birth defect lawyers at the information provided below. We have the experience, resources, and skills required to win the justice you deserve. Call today and see how we can help.

Hanley: “Prenatal exposure to serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) antidepressants has been associated with delays in early developmental milestones, but there remains uncertainty. Even among a subset of studies examining the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID), some have reported normal mental and psychomotor development while others have suggested a delay in motor development. Given an increasing number of infants exposed to SRIs, furthering our understanding of the possible developmental implications of SRI exposure in utero is critical.”

This study reviewed the developmental status of 10-month-old children who were exposed to maternal SSRI drugs in pregnancy: “We examined 31 mother-child pairs exposed prenatally to SRIs and 52 mother-child pairs who were nonexposed.”

Results showed that “Infants exposed prenatally to SRIs scored significantly lower than nonexposed infants on gross motor (P=0.03), social-emotional (P=0.04) and adaptive behavior (P=0.05) subscales of the BSID-III, controlling for pre- and postnatal maternal depressed mood, smoking and alcohol use during pregnancy.” This means that SSRI exposure, not maternal depression, was linked to poor neonatal outcomes.

Due to the fact that every year, thousands of expecting mothers use SSRIs unaware of these risks, SSRI birth defect lawsuits are currently being filed around the world.

If you or a loved one used SSRIs and gave birth to a child with a congenital malformation or who had perinatal complications, you may be entitled to significant financial compensation. For a free, no-obligation case consultation, contact our team of SSRI birth defect lawyers at the information provided below. We have the compassion, resources, and experience required to win the justice you deserve. Call today and see how we can help.

Galbally et al. (2012) writes “Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) is a rare but potentially life-threatening neonatal condition. Several authors have suggested that late pregnancy exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may increase the risk of PPHN. This association has been investigated in seven published studies that have shown mixed findings based on diverse methods. Several methodological limitations may account for the diversity of findings, which include, in some studies, a lack of control for well established risk factors for PPHN. The methodological improvement in the most recent study tentatively suggests that infants prenatally exposed to SSRIs are approximately twice as likely to suffer PPHN. Further research on the biological mechanisms involved is required. Clinicians should consider late pregnancy exposure to SSRIs as one of several possible risks for PPHN, which has implications for both prescribing SSRIs to pregnant women and for neonatal care of SSRI-exposed infants.”

If you or a loved one used SSRIs and gave birth to a child with a birth defect or who faced adverse birth outcomes, you may be entitled to significant financial compensation. For a free, no-obligation case consultation, contact our team of SSRI birth defect lawyers at the information provided below. We have the compassion, experience, and resources required to win the justice you deserve. Call today and see how we can help.

About this Blog

This blog chronicles legal and scientific news relating to personal injuries caused by defective drugs and medical devices. It is published by injury lawyer Justinian C. Lane, an attorney who takes a personal interest in each of his clients’ cases.